About a week ago I posted the clever question of a reader/commenter. In the post I mentioned that Kris said, “Well, about you? We’re emerging and go to Willow!” So, here’s the question I was asked:

But I have often wondered how you believe what you believe and still attend Willow? I mean Praying with the Church doesn’t seem like a Willow type of thing. And the many emerging ideas you present seem to squarely contradict the mega-church approach – whether it be Willow or any other mega-church. So, to repeat your wife’s question: “What about you?”

So, here’s my answer:
First, don’t box me in. We emerging types are embedded in communities and not just creating our own communities. I am embedded at Willow, for a number of reasons, and have no desire to leave for another faith community. Not all emerging types are in house churches or at coffee shops; and folks like me might well think those kinds of churches are a really good thing.
Second, on those four rivers I detail in the WTS paper, and they are Postmodernity, Praxis, Postevangelical, and Politics:
I’m a critical realist: I think there is an object out there that is objective, and that making knowledge is not simply spinning a story in my head; but I think I’ve got a “cracked Eikon mind” and that means that my “story” or theology will never be purely objective, it will never be identical to that objective reality out there, and that I need to hold my story in tension with other stories and with ongoing learning.
Second, I think orthopraxy is more important than orthodoxy. Also, I do think orthodoxy is very important. But, I listen too much to the Sermon on the Mount and to the judgment themes of the Bible to think relationship to God is simply what I believe. What I do is most important, and I’ve got plenty to work on. In the same stream, I think worship should be ecumenical — drawing on all the great traditions. I like some of the funky stuff, and I like the liturgical developments, and I like candles and aesthetics.
I think the focus of church work should be small and local; I think if you gather in a big place — fine — but the work of God doesn’t take place simply when we are gathered but when we are reaching into the lives of others. So, I think “missional” is the key for the future. For me, the church is what happens during the week more than what happens on the weekend; I don’t think the singular point of the church is gathering on Sunday for a sermon; I think it all fits together into a community of faith that embodies the gospel and individuals whose lives flow out of that community — in whatever calling a person has.
My own “missional world” is teaching, writing books and to people who write me, speaking in churches, etc etc…..
Third, I’m postevangelical in many ways: I think the evangelicalism of the 50s-90s is in need of serious reshapings at places (especially in the praxis elements I mention in the paper; I’m basically post Bible study piety and post systematics but not post theology; I’m all for a narrative structure to our theology). This is not to say that I am against evangelicalism or nonevangelical. I’m an evangelical in the postevangelical mode — that is, in some ways I’m postconservative and sometimes I join ranks with the postliberals (for those who get into terms like that, which seem to be used differently by everyone who uses them — so I’ll not try to define them).
Fourth, on politics I strive as much as possible to let my passions be for God and for the Church and for others (the Jesus Creed). I place no confidence in redemption by way of politics. The political hope ebbs and flows every 8 years now; I don’t get all riled up if a Republican or a Democrat wins; I don’t think it matters that much to what we are called to do on a daily basis.
Put simply, I’m thoroughly of the belief that the church is a small group rather than a large group, or better yet, I’m anabaptistic (that is, the church is a sect in society rather than the power over society). I try to focus on the kingdom and on Jesus Christ and following him. I think the Church should be the alternative society that far too many hope will come as a result of the next election.

Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events throughout the USA and in Denmark and South Africa. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).

Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. He is the author of more than thirty books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (Paraclete, 2004), which won the Christianity Today book of the year for Christian Living. Recent books include Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us (Paraclete, 2005), The Story of the Christ (Baker, 2006), Praying with the Church (Paraclete, 2006), and The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus (Paraclete, 2007). A recent book, A Community called Atonement (Abingdon, 2007), has been nominated for the Grawameyer Award. He broadened his Jesus Creed project in writing a daily devotional: 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed (Paraclete, 2008). His studies in conversion were expanded with his newest book, Finding Faith, Losing Faith (Baylor, 2008), a book he co-authored with his former student Hauna Ondrey. His most recent books are The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible (Zondervan, 2008) and Fasting (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

Forthcoming books include a commentary on James (Eerdmans, 2010). He is presently researching “gospel” in the earliest Christian communities.

Other books include Who Do My Opponents Say I am? (co-edited with Joseph Modica), Jesus and His Death (Baylor, 2005), A Light among the Gentiles (Fortress, 1992), A New Vision for Israel (Eerdmans, 1999), Turning to Jesus (Westminster John Knox, 2002), Galatians (Zondervan, 1993) and 1 Peter (Zondervan, 1996), Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels (Baker, 1988), and he is a co-editor with J.B. Green and I.H. Marshall of the award-winning The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP, 1992) as well as the co-editor, with J.D.G. Dunn, of The Historical Jesus in Current Study (Eisenbraun’s, 2005). He regularly contributes chapter length studies to dictionaries, encyclopedias, books and articles for magazines and online webzines. McKnight’s books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.

McKnight’s award-winning blog, Jesus Creed, has been rated by Technorati.com as the #1 site for Emerging Church and continues to increase in readership.

Scot McKnight was elected into the Hall of Honor at Cornerstone University in honor of his basketball accomplishments during his college career. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Libertyville, Illinois. They enjoy traveling, long walks, gardening, and cooking. They have two adult children, Laura (married to Mark Barringer) and Lukas (married to Annika Nelson), and one grandchild: Aksel Donovan Nelson McKnight.

Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events throughout the USA and in Denmark and South Africa. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).

Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. He is the author of more than thirty books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (Paraclete, 2004), which won the Christianity Today book of the year for Christian Living. Recent books include Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us (Paraclete, 2005), The Story of the Christ (Baker, 2006), Praying with the Church (Paraclete, 2006), and The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus (Paraclete, 2007). A recent book, A Community called Atonement (Abingdon, 2007), has been nominated for the Grawameyer Award. He broadened his Jesus Creed project in writing a daily devotional: 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed (Paraclete, 2008). His studies in conversion were expanded with his newest book, Finding Faith, Losing Faith (Baylor, 2008), a book he co-authored with his former student Hauna Ondrey. His most recent books are The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible (Zondervan, 2008) and Fasting (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

Forthcoming books include a commentary on James (Eerdmans, 2010). He is presently researching “gospel” in the earliest Christian communities.

Other books include Who Do My Opponents Say I am? (co-edited with Joseph Modica), Jesus and His Death (Baylor, 2005), A Light among the Gentiles (Fortress, 1992), A New Vision for Israel (Eerdmans, 1999), Turning to Jesus (Westminster John Knox, 2002), Galatians (Zondervan, 1993) and 1 Peter (Zondervan, 1996), Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels (Baker, 1988), and he is a co-editor with J.B. Green and I.H. Marshall of the award-winning The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP, 1992) as well as the co-editor, with J.D.G. Dunn, of The Historical Jesus in Current Study (Eisenbraun’s, 2005). He regularly contributes chapter length studies to dictionaries, encyclopedias, books and articles for magazines and online webzines. McKnight’s books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.

McKnight’s award-winning blog, Jesus Creed, has been rated by Technorati.com as the #1 site for Emerging Church and continues to increase in readership.

Scot McKnight was elected into the Hall of Honor at Cornerstone University in honor of his basketball accomplishments during his college career. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Libertyville, Illinois. They enjoy traveling, long walks, gardening, and cooking. They have two adult children, Laura (married to Mark Barringer) and Lukas (married to Annika Nelson), and one grandchild: Aksel Donovan Nelson McKnight.